1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical bottle for an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus that supplies a chemical to an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a chemical bottle is set in an insertion portion of an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus by inserting the chemical bottle therein in an inclined manner, a stopper portion that is provided at an upper surface of a storing section of the chemical bottle is opened by being broken by a cutting portion that is positioned at an inner part of the insertion portion. As a result, a chemical that is inside the chemical bottle is filled into a chemical tank of the endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus through a conduit under its own weight. In this connection, for example, a concentrate of a disinfectant solution to be used for disinfecting an endoscope or a buffer solution of the disinfectant solution is filled inside the chemical bottle.
With respect to the process of setting the chemical bottle in the insertion portion, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-121832 discloses an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus in which two lever-type limit switches are provided in the insertion portion. According to this configuration, after the chemical bottle is inserted into the insertion portion, a first limit switch detects a position of the chemical bottle immediately before the cutting portion is stuck into the stopper portion, and a second limit switch detects a chemical bottle insertion completion position at which the cutting portion opens the stopper portion of the chemical bottle.
The endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-121832 has a configuration such that a contact portion that is provided at a distal end of an arm portion of each lever-type limit switch contacts a side face of the chemical bottle, and a switch state of the relevant limit switch is switched from “off” to “on” as the result of the contact portion being pressed by the chemical bottle.
In this case, a configuration may also be considered in which a concave portion is provided on a side face of a chemical bottle, and in which a position of the chemical bottle is detected by a switch state being switched from “on” to “off” when a state is entered in which a contact portion of a limit switch is not pressed by the chemical bottle as a result of the contact portion being fitted in the concave portion. For example, a configuration may also be considered that detects the aforementioned chemical bottle insertion completion position as a result of a contact portion of a limit switch being fitted in the concave portion.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chemical bottle for an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus having a configuration which enables easy withdrawal from an insertion portion of an endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatus without damaging a limit switch.